Evening coat

Charles James

late 1920s–early 1930s · silk, fur · Costume Institute

This elegant minimalist construction is the earliest example of James’s spiral draping in The Costume Institute’s collection. The main body of the coat is one piece of silk velvet, horizontally wrapped counterclockwise. The long sleeves are a simple raglan construction with a triangular, fur-edged piece contour-seamed to the coat’s body along the shoulder line. The piece is balanced and draped to give the impression from the front of a wide-cuffed sleeve and, from the back, of a scarf.

Artist

Charles James

Date

late 1920s–early 1930s

Medium

silk, fur

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Purchase, Costume Institute Benefit Fund, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, and Acquisitions Fund, 2013